1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system for inventory tracking and destruction of returned digitally stored products to a supply chain having one or more stores. In particular, the present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, and system for electronically handling, confirming, and destroying a digitally stored product such as a Compact Disc, a Digital Versatile Disc or a Digital Audio Tape returned to a supply chain such as a store or chain of stores selling such merchandise.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art discloses various inventory tracking systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,560 to Newell et al. relates the return of rented videocassette. The videocassettes are intended to be reused in further rentals and are not destroyed or marked void.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,954 to Weaver et al. discloses a matching system for scanning and sorting documents.
None of the aforementioned prior art inventions discloses or suggests a method and system for implementing a return policy of a supply chain for digitally stored merchandise.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and a system for implementing a return policy of a supply chain for digitally stored products in which each product for return can be verified as originating within the supply chain, rendered unusable, and the transaction voided within the supply chain.
It is a further object of the inventon to vary the method of rendering the returned product unusable based on the physical nature of the product being returned.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a receiving bin in which the product for return is placed and from which the deposited product for return can not be removed until the product is rendered unusable or is determined as not originating from the supply chain.
It is still another object of the invention to identify the product for return as originating from the supply chain and/or the return policy of the product for return by external examination of indicia on the product and/or by internal examination of files in the product.
Other objects in the present invention will become apparent from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings in which: